Bound To Rain

Surgery

Eventually, another carriage was called. Specs, Buttons, and Romeo weren't too badly damaged, So they rode in the one with me, Elmer, and Harriet. Ours ended up holding me, Harriet, Elmer, Jack, Pulitzer, Kailem, Snyder, and three bulls. Everyone else was in different carriages. Maybe they ordered another one. Ours is stopping at the hospital so Harriet can get fixed. I'm probably going to stay with her for a day or two while she's in there.

I must've zoned out, because when I looked back outside, we were at the hospital. Elmer and Jack gently carried Harriet out of the carriage, then I stepped out into the warm, July air. It looked to be about 1:00 am. Elmer's birthday was a day away.

(a/n: I couldn't find Elmer's actual birthday, so I'm using Anthony Zas' birthday, and in case you didn't know, Zas plays Elmer in the original Broadway cast.)

A few doctors rushed out, two women and a man, and laid her on a gurney. They ran her in, me and the two boys close behind. 

"Who are you?" One of the doctors, she had ginger hair, asked once they got her into a room

"I's her sista." I informed her, and she let me past.

"And who are you?" She asked the boys.

"We's her brudda's." Jack told her, and she let them both in and closed the door behind everyone. Everyone being the three doctors, Harriet and I, Jack, and Elmer. The doctors started talking to each other fervently. One of the doctors had thick, curly brown hair pulled into a ponytail by a green ribbon. Her dark skin was shimmering from beads of sweat on her forehead. It's humid in here. The man had neat blond hair, swept to the side. The ginger woman had her hair in a tight braid.

"My name is Doctor Jay." The ginger woman introduced herself, standing in front of us. "What is your sister's name?"

"Harriet Robinson." I responded shakily. 

"What are your names?" Doctor Jay asked.

"I's Olive, and this is my older brudda Jack," I motioned towards Jack, then towards Elmer. "And this is my twin brudda Elmer."

"Well, your sister is going to need surgery." She told us. "It's going to take awhile, and she won't be awake for at least a day, so you should all go home." Her gray eyes swept over our ragged clothes. "Wherever that may be."

"We can't leave!" Elmer burst out.

"Yeah, she'll wake up all alone!" Jack agreed.

"Don't you all have jobs in the morning?" Doctor Jay questioned.

"We's can all miss sellin'." Jack insisted.

"At least go home while she's in surgery." The doctor pressed.

"We will go home, just will ya let us know when she's about ta wake up?" Jack gave in.

"Jack!" I looked at him. "I' gotta to stay with Harriet."
"You's gotta get some sleep." Elmer whispered in my ear.

"Your brothers are right." Doctor Jay agreed. "I will send someone to your Lodging House when she looks about to wake up."
"Promise?" I looked up at her.

"I promise." She smiled, and we left. When we walked outside, our carriage was gone.

"I's guessin' we'd gotta walk." Elmer looked at Jack.
"Yep." We all started walking.

"How far away is it?" I asked as we trekked.

" 'Bout a mile or two." Jack replied. I nodded and shuffled along with the boys.

When we got to the Lodging House, it was around 2:30. Despite the hour, there were shouts of glee inside. Jack swung open the door and strided in to see that no-one was there. The sounds were coming from the fort. I peeked my head in to see all the boys huddled up and playing cards. Race's cigar wasn't lit this time, but still in his mouth. They're eyes all lifted to me. All the other Newsies that went to the library were there.

"How's ya sista?" Albert asked.

"She's goin' into surgery." I told the ginger boy.

"Olive's got a sista?" Finch swiveled his head to look at Albert.

"Yeah, she got taken a few weeks ago. She's was the most badly hurt." I smiled.

"You guys wanna play?" Romeo asked, face bruised up.

"Sure." Jack shrugged and the three of us went into the fort. Buttons gathered everyone's cards and shuffled.

"I's got a game!" Elmer claimed, taking up the cards from the boy and took a lot out. "It's called Dupec."

(a/n: Dupec is a real Polish card game, and you don't use cards below nine. Ace is in the game though.)

Elmer passed the cards out until there weren't any left.

"The card ya don't want is the Jack of Hearts." The black haired boy looked around. "We start at nine of hearts. Whoeva's got that, put it down. Then we go 'round the circle counterclockwise."

Henry placed the card down gingerly, then looked expectantly at Mush.

"Mush, ya got ten of hearts?" Elmer asked. The boy shook his head. "Draw a card from Specs."

Mush did as he was told, but didn't get the card.

"Specs, ya got it?" Elmer asked, and Specs shook his head. I plastered on a poker face. I have ten of hearts. Everyone drew down the circle, and Elmer drew from me.

"What happens if we have it?" I whispered to him after he drew the wrong card.

"Put it down." He grinned. I placed down the card.

"Now, we's skip the Dupec card, so Jack, have ya got the Queen of Hearts?" Elmer asked. Jack shook his head. "Ya know what ta do."

Jack drew from Buttons, and his face lit up. "I's got it!"

"Now put it down." Elmer nodded. The game continued until the Heart suit ran out. "Now, Romeo, do you have the nine of Diamonds?" Romeo nodded and put the card down on the stack. The game went on through Diamonds, Spades, and Clovers. The Dupec card was in my hand for a little while, but Jack drew it from me. At the end of the game, Jack threw down the Dupec.

"Well, Jackie, ya lost." Elmer told him smugly.

"That don't mean anythin'." Jack grumbled. Snickers echoed around the fort. I looked around to see that a lot of the boys were either asleep or yawning. Elmer seemed to have picked up on the yawns and was starting to doze off.